Three Totally Adorable Hedgehog Cookie Ideas
Martine Lleonart has created the cutest little hedgehog cookies!! In this guest post, she shows you how to dress them up for Christmas. Hopefully, it inspires you to create your own versions for other occasions as well.
These adorable little shortbread hedgehogs are deceptively easy to make, but they pack a big punch. I recently took a batch of them to an end-of-year school event and I was literally stopped in my tracks as I carried them into the school by people who wanted a closer look.
The recipe for this basic cookie dough is reliable and easy and offers endless decorating opportunities. Generally when I make these cookies, I make a colorful garden-variety hedgehog with rainbow sprinkles.
But, when Stef suggested putting a Christmas spin on them, well… I had to make a Santa hedgehog. I’ve always had a soft spot for Santa’s lesser known sidekick, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Hedgehog, so I made those, too!
You’ll find all the decorating instructions below to make these jolly hedgehogs, but feel free to put your own spin on them. Remember, there’s no right and wrong when it comes to chocolate and sprinkles.
If you want to make a friend for your hedgehog, try out these Christmas sugar cookies that are decorated like snowmen. They are also totally adorable!
Hedgehog Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough Ingredients - Used for All Hedgehogs
- 3 ounces unsalted butter cold, diced
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar sifted
- 1 large large egg lightly whisked
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Hedgehog Ingredients
- 16 small pretzels
- 3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate melted
- Sprinkles in Christmas colors
- 16 red mini M&Ms for the noses
Santa Hedgehogs Ingredients
- Royal icing
- 16 raspberry gummy candies for Santa's hat - you can also use Santa Hat Hershey's kisses
- 3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate melted
- Red sprinkles
Rainbow Hedgehog Ingredients
- 3 1/2 ounces dark chocolate melted
- Rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Cookie Dough Instructions
- Mix cold butter and flour in a food processor until it is crumbly – don’t overmix.
- Put the butter mixture into a large mixing bowl, then add the confectioners' sugar, egg, vanilla and salt. Mix with a spatula until smooth.
- Flatten the cookie dough into a large oval and wrap with plastic wrap. Pop in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes.
- After chilling, make the hedgehogs by breaking off a piece of dough a little smaller than a ping pong ball. Roll the dough into a ball and pinch out a nose shape (see the video above). Lay all your hedgehogs out on a baking tray lined with baking paper (parchment) and pop them into the freezer for 30 minutes to chill.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- When chilled, bake for 18–20 minutes, until the noses are slightly golden. Pop them onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Hedgehog Instructions
- Break the pretzels in half, then break the circle shape on each side of the pretzel to make an antler. Match the antlers up in pairs ready to go.
- Dip your hedgehogs – bottom first – into melted chocolate. Submerge to a little over halfway. Rest them on baking paper (parchment) and decorate with your special Christmas colors.
- Now, it's time to get your Christmas vibe really pumping. Grab a pair of antlers and hold them in place in the gooey chocolate on a hedgehog. Keep holding. Song time! Sing ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Hedgehog’ through all the way at least once. I recommend twice. Through the magic of song (and a little time) the antlers should now adhere to the chocolate.
- When you’ve done all of your antlers (your voice may be somewhat hoarse by now), dab on the melted chocolate for the eyes and nose with a toothpick. Finally, pop that cute little red nose in place. It will only take a couple of seconds to stick (no singing required unless you want to).
Santa Hedgehog Instructions
- First up, make the Santa hats by piping a little bit of royal icing around the bottom of the gummy raspberry and a dollop on top. Leave them to dry.
- Dip your hedgehogs – bottom first – into melted chocolate. Submerge to a little over halfway. Rest them on baking paper (parchment).
- After you have dipped all of your hedgehogs’ bottoms in the chocolate and lined them up on a tray lined with baking paper, apply the red sprinkles.
- Carefully place a Santa hat on top of each hedgehog. You may need to hold it in place for a few seconds until it sticks. Use a toothpick to dab on the eyes and nose. Ho ho ho!
Rainbow Hedgehog Instructions
- Dip your hedgehogs – bottom first – into melted chocolate. Submerge to a little over halfway. Rest them on baking paper (parchment).
- Apply the sprinkles while they are still wet. When they are dry, add the finishing touches using a skewer or toothpick to dab a tiny bit of melted chocolate for two little eyes and a nose.
Notes
Nutrition
Martine Lleonart lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband and two children. Her first book, Let’s Party: Unique Kids’ Birthday Party Ideas, is filled with cake tips, recipes, and heaps of other fun things! It’s published by Hardie Grant Books. When she’s not tending her ramshackle garden or making pompoms, she works as a freelance editor and writer for a range of cookbooks, gardening books, and other print and online publications.
Loading comments...